Deciding what colors to use when decorating your house can be a real challenge. Do you want a soothing atmosphere, vibrant or warm and cozy? The choice does not have to be complicated if you understand the workings of the theory of color. As many colors as there are out there all come from one of the colors of the rainbow: red, yellow, orange, green, blue, indigo, violet and black and white. These colors are divided up into two categories:

Primary Colors: red, yellow and blue. They are called primary because they are pure and no two colors were mixed to create the color. Secondary Colors: orange, green, and violet. They are called secondary because they are mixed from two of the primary colors.

There are also two types of colors within the color wheel:

Harmonious Colors: Colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. Blues, green, blue-green and aqua all lay next to each other and work well together in any room to create a comfortable harmonious atmosphere. Contrasting Colors: Colors, which are on the opposite side of the color wheel. Red-green or blue-orange contrast each other but will complement each other and will create a vibrant intense atmosphere.

Colors can have a powerful effect on the feel of a room. These are two of the “moods” created by certain colors:

Cool Colors: The right hand side of the color wheel is made up of such colors as greens and blues. These colors will create a cool calm mood. They will also make a room look smaller so avoid using too much in smaller rooms Warm Colors: The left-hand side is made up of reds, oranges and yellows. These colors will create a warm, cozy and bright mood. The closer the color you chose is to a primary color the brighter it will be so mix the bright with some softer shades.

There are other factors to take into consideration when choosing colors:

Pastel Colors: Pure colors that are muted by a white color. Subtle Colors: Pure colors darkened by mixing gray or black Neutrals: Colors that do not contrast and can mix well with most colors. Examples are white, creams, beige and browns. They are often considered earth colors. Tones: The tone describes the lightness or darkness of the color. It is best to use a variety of tones in a room rather than just light and dark.

Colors can make all the difference in the look and the feel of a room. You don’t always need to renovate, maybe you just need to color, so experiment and have fun.

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